Wanted
by alj97
Summary: Septimus Heap is the seventh son of a seventh son, and will one day be a very powerful wizard. But someone wants Septimus, badly, and its up to Sep, Jenna, Beetle, Marcia, and all of their friends to find out who, and why, before its to late. Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

A hooded man walks across the ancient cobbled path of Wizard Way. It is night, close to the Dark of the moon, so that in the cloudless sky the stars shine clear and bright. The air is clean and crisp, permeated with the smells of castle life. Although the street is mostly empty, the few that do walk at this late hour are either drunken, returning home from a long night at the Taverns, or young lovers, giggling and holding hands, searching for a place to _settle down _ for the night, or maybe find a tall rooftop somewhere and watch the stars.

_Click Click Click. _The man's boots sharply echo off the buildings. He strides along, unaware of the romancing young people walking about the street. He has a purpose, and nothing will get between him and his mission.

A sharp turn left and there, in all of its glory, is the Wizard tower. Colors swirl around it and glitter dances in the air, which feels alive even at this hour. But the hooded man does not marvel at the beauty of it, the majesty, the **Magyk. **No, he continues on the path, and opens the small gate that leads up to the tower.

_Swish Swish Swish. _His black cloak swaying in the gentle breeze is the only noise as he stands in front of the magnificent doors that guard the tower. Ancient symbols long forgotten adorn it in a seemingly chaotic style, but as you relax your mind and stop looking so closely, the symbols flow in an intricate pattern. A **Magykal **pattern.

Dark eyes look upon the door, and the hooded man mutters under his breath. For almost a minute he keeps this up, and at the end the colors around the tower have congealed, slowed, and now looked like drippy crystals suspended in the air. He places his hand on an object on his belt, and begins to chant. Dark blue energy surrounds him, infuses itself into his hair, his skin, his cloak. The peaceful night begins to grow cold, and a vengeful wind springs up. Dark clouds flood across the sky, and an almost audible sigh is heard throughout the castle, the lovers whose perfect night has just been spoiled deciding that the bitter wind and the ugly clouds were just not worth it. Glowing with power, the man steps up to the door but instead of bumping his face against it, he takes one more step and vanishes, _through _the door.

Inside the wizard tower things are peaceful. The snores of dozens of wizards echoes around the empty hall, and the usually bright and cheerful leftover **Magyk **floats in the air leisurely, looking for all the world like glowing liquid hovering over the hall. The sifting sand floor is still, the staircase unmoving, almost. Young Piscel Adamthrope, an Ordinary Wizard, is sitting in on the stairs, yawning and wondering when his door will decide **Allow** into his rooms again. He is contemplating seeking out an Ax to chop his stupid door down, as the stairs were very uncomfortable and he was quite sick of this happening every Thursday, when a WHOOOSH began to reverberate around the hall. Under Piscel's astonished eye, the hooded man emerged from the gold doors, glowing with blue power.

Gradually, the light died, and Piscel sat staring at a tall, hooded stranger who had just broken into the Wizard Tower. _He broke into the wizard tower! _The shock flitted across Piscel's face and he opened his mouth to yell. Yell what, he did not know. A warning, a scream, a question of how in the world did you simply walk into the most **Magykal**, un-broken into building in the entire castle. Piscel didn't get a chance to figure it out, for just as he filled his lungs with air, the man reaches into his pocket and withdraws a small glowing charm. It was a **Stunflash, **a **Silent Stunflash **in fact. The man flicks it towards him. PWOOF! A flash of white light explodes in Piscel's face and his brain completely shuts down.

_Thump thump thump thump thump._ Piscel bumps and rolls and falls down the stairs to come and rest at the bottom, at the feet of the hooded stranger. The man gingerly steps over him, annoyed at having to lose one of his precious **Silent Stunflashes** so early into the mission. He makes no effort to avoid trudging on Piscel's fingers.

He climbs up the stairs, silent and still. Whatever charm his boss had given him to shut down the Wizard Tower, it seemed to be working. Nothing moves, not the sand floor, not the staircase, not the doors. Completely dead, or in **Enchanted Sleep**, if you wanted to be professional. And he was professional; he climbs all twenty floors without stopping, without breathing hard.

The man reaches the top floor of the wizard tower, and stands before the large, sturdy door of the ExtraOrdinary Wizard. As before, he puts his hand on his belt, mutters an incantation, and walks through the solid wood. He emerges in Marcia Overstrand's neat and tidy living room. A warm fire is glowing in the hearth, and scrolls and assorted **Magyk **books are scattered across multiple bookshelves and desks.

_Now the tricky part. _ He thinks to himself. He mutters a quick **SafeShield, **just in case, and sets out across the room. For a while the man wanders around, half-dazzled at the space and the luxuries, half-procrastinating the inevitable. _Stop it! _He orders himself. Just find the room and get the job done. Simple.

He goes to a room at the end of the hallway and peeks in. Sprawled across her sheets is Marcia Overstrand, ExtraOrdinary wizard, dark curly hair wild around her face, imposing even in sleep. The man quickly closes the door. No, not the one he is looking for. The next room he tries is full of books, and so is the next one, and the next one, but on his fourth try he is lucky.

A neat, tidy room with a boy in the bed. The hooded man enters. Wild, curly sand-colored hair and a pale face, peaceful with sleep. Slowly, so as to avoid making any noise, the man takes a drawing from his belt and holds it up in comparison. Yes this was him, the seventh son of a seventh son. Extremely powerful, and wanted by many. Septimus Heap.

Septimus dreams on, unaware of the threat standing beside his bed. The hooded man, for the first time, pulls down his hood, and reveals a harsh, cold face with long dark hair. From his belt he produces a small, glimmering orb and holds it right above Septimus' face. He then squeezes it until it pops. A rain of sparks falls onto Septimus' face. With his next breath they flow into his nose. He breathes in deeper, and all of the sparks are absorbed into his body, which suddenly goes completely limp.

_Perfect. _The** Paralyzation Powdere **had , the hooded man pulls back the covers and lifts the boy up, surprised by how light he is. Careful not to hit Septimus' head on the doorway he walks out into the hallway. _Ha-ha, stealing the ExtraOrdinary Apprentice right under the ExtraOrdinary Wizard's nose! Wait till the boss hears about this! _Feeling cocky, he shifts Septimus' slight weight to his shoulder and walks to the door, preparing to do another **Go Through **spell. But his shift caused the small, glowing ring on the boy's right hand to come lose, and it falls to the floor with a thump as loud as if he had just shot off a gun.

THUUUNKKK! Thuuunkk! Thunk! The unnoticeable sound echoes around the apartment, as loud as a cannon blast. It reaches the coffee pot, which turns itself on in fright, thinking Marcia is coming for midnight coffee; it reaches the mirror, which bends and twists in shock, believing Marcia to be on her way to yell at it. And at the end of the hallway, splayed across her bed, Marcia's very acute **Hearing** perceives it, and she sits bolt upright, tingling with urgency,_ something was wrong._

The hooded man is frozen, looking down at the reason for the noise, which is sitting innocently on the warm wooden floor. _Continue to sneak, or go all out? _His mind rings with the question of a lifetime. In a moment, however, his question is answered for him.

"Septimus?" Whispers a voice in the hallway, and the hooded man's blood turns to ice. _Well, all out it is._ Marcia steps into the living room, still in her nightgown, and at first her eyes pass over the still-frozen man with her apprentice slung over his back. Then they focus, and shock fills her face.

"SEPTIMUS!" She screams, and then flings herself to the side to avoid the man's **Silent Stunflash**. White light floods the room, capturing the action perfectly. _Darn, I missed! _ It blinds her for a second though, giving him time to **Go Through **the door. Once through, he races down the stairs.

Marcia picks herself up off the floor. Thoughts flooded through her mind as she runs to the door and pulls it open with all of her might.

Who was he?

He had Septimus!

_How had he gotten in here?_

He had Septimus!

Why aren't the stairs working? Why isn't anybody waking up with all this bloody noise? How to beat him to the bottom?

HE HAD SEPTIMUS!

But why?

Through all of her scrambled thoughts however, she managed to stay calm and under control. Mostly. As she jumps the stairs fifteen at a time she chants words of an old spellshe had learned years ago.

"**Awake**!" She screams as the purple aura of magic fizzes in the air. The spell swung around the wizard tower, and immediately roused the hundreds of Ordinary Wizards who were sleeping, quite peacefully, before. About half were immediately annoyed, and turned over in their beds so as to fall back asleep. But the other half knew something was wrong, and exited their apartments to see, to their astonishment and horror, a man dressed in a black cape and hood carrying the ExtraOrdinary Apprentice down the unmoving staircase, with the ExtraOrdinary Wizard _in her nightgown _following and screaming at the top of her lungs.

"STOP HIM! STOP HIM! DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY! HE HAS MY SEPTIMUS!"

The hooded man cursed. He had _not_ counted on the whole freaking tower being awake! Septimus bumped against his back, threatening to fall off as he rounded the next corner and nearly collided with a young Ordinary Wizard named Camilla Flanges, who screamed and jumped out of his way. Fifth floor. Fourth floor. Third Floor. Second floor. He leaned over the railing and jumped the remaining distance, landing softly. _So close! Almost to the door!_ He reached for his belt and grasped the **Go Through** charm, about to start the incantation when the unthinkable happened.

He tripped.

Throughout all of this action Piscel Adamthrope had lain unconscious at the bottom of the stairs, and Marcia's **Awake** had no effect on his **Stunflash-** affected brain. He was out cold for the next half-hour. But his positioning was perfect, right in the path of the speeding man.

"Aargh!" the hooded man lands flat on his stomach, the air knocked out of him. Septimus goes flying and thuds to the ground a few feet from him, still as floppy and lifeless as a dead fish. Wheezing, the man struggles to stand up, but he is to slow, and the _very_ irritated and angry ExtraOrdinary Wizard is on him in an instant. Within moments he is **Frozen**, glaring in Marcia's direction.

"Deal with him, will you?" She says to the two closest wizards, and they begin to chant containing spells around the hooded man.

"Septimus!" She hurries to her apprentice's side. His face is pale, and she hurriedly checks to make sure he isn't hurt. Despite a few bruises from being tossed and thrown, he was fine. So, _why won't he wake up?_ Putting her face next to his, Marcia breathes in deep, and suddenly starts to feel lightheaded. Oh that miserable excuse for a …

"Rose!" Marcia shouts, spotting the young Wizard in the throng of bystanders witnessing the most interesting thing to happen in the Tower in months. Rose hurries over to Marcia's side.

"Marcia! What in the world is going- oh no! Sep! Is he okay? What's wrong with him?"

"He'll be fine Rose, I just need some water for him for when….."

But Rose was already gone.

Marcia leans over Septimus, wishing for a less public place to do this.

She mutters a very long and complicated spell, and then breathes out deeply. The she cups her palm to his cheek, lifts it, and slaps him across the face with a loud SMACK!

With a loud gasp Septimus jerks to life, eyes wild. You see, for him he had gone to bed, fallen asleep, and was suddenly now lying in the middle of the great floor of the Wizard tower, with absolutely no idea how he had gotten there.

And his cheek hurt.

"Whaaa?" He gasps as he looks from Marcia to the large crowd of wizards gathered around him. Marcia looks at him with relief, and, is that _guilt? _Why did she-

He begins to cough violently, leaning to the side and hacking for several minutes before he can speak again. When he looks down, his hands (and the floor) are both covered in a fine, sparkly powder.

Septimus looks up at Marcia, and then focuses on the **frozen **body of the hooded man. His eyes grow wide, and he looks at Marcia again.

"What…"He begins, but Marcia quickly cuts him off. "In a minute Septimus, let's just get you back up to you room, and I'll explain everything there."

Septimus nods, confused and dizzy, but he doesn't notice the lie in Marcia's eyes. Explain, explain WHAT? A mysterious stranger who can walk through walls just _turned off_ the Wizard Tower, walked into her apartment (HER apartment!), and kidnapped Septimus using **Paralyzation Powdere **(**Darke **concoction that was banned from the castle since the Great Alchemy Disaster for goodness sakes!) for absolutely unknown reasons!

"Okay." He says, and shakily gets to his feet. Rose returns and, overjoyed at seeing her friend up and walking, accidently spills the water on him as she hugs him. Septimus laughs, and Marcia wishes she could enjoy it, but all the way up the stairs and into the apartment she can only think one thing.

_What in the world is going on?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, this is alj97. Thanks for being interested in my story! I won't be able to update for a while, what with school, sports, and other junk that eats up my day, but I'll try to as soon as I can. So, enjoy Chapter 2!**

* * *

"And through all of that, I was asleep?" Septimus asked eyes wide. He was sitting on Marcia's couch, drinking a disgusting mixture of coffee and a **Wake up **charm, which tasted like rotten milk.

"No, not asleep, **Paralyzed**. It's an old spell, used over five hundred years ago to kidnap wizards. But I haven't seen it actively used since I was Alther's apprentice, and he taught me about it." Marcia got up off the couch and walked to the coffee pot. "Oh hurry up you blithering piece of junk!" She said irritably, tapping it hard on its top. In a panic, the poor coffee pot immediately began squirting coffee into the waiting cup, and on the surrounding floor, and on Marcia's bare feet.

"AAhhh! Oh you stupid little…"

"Marcia!" Septimus interrupted, wanting to spare to poor coffee pot nightmares. She stopped cursing at the pot and turned back towards him. "Yes Septimus?" She asked, calmer. She came and sat down on the couch next to him.

"Marcia, how in the world did he get in here?" Septimus asked, "This is the _Wizard Tower_! How could he get in without anybody knowing?" He cut off as Marcia shook her head, dark curls bouncing.

"That, I do not know. But if you feel up to it, you can come with me, and together we can try and find out." She looked at her apprentice, his face slightly less pale, sand-colored hair wild and sticking in all directions, eyes glittering with curiosity and excitement.

"Oh yes please!" He blurted out, but then looked down at himself, and then across at Marcia.

"But we better get dressed first."

* * *

Sometime later, the great wooden door of Marcia's room burst open, and out walked Marcia, ExtraOrdinary Wizard, swathed in purple, with the glittering ExtraOrdinary belt glinting in the lantern light, purple python shoes clicking on the stairs. Behind her a figure in the green ExtraOrdinary Apprentice robes followed, curly hair wild and crazy, struggling to keep up with Marcia's brisk pace.

"Wait, Marcia, slow down!" Septimus cried as he jogged behind her, down the frozen stairs, and into the Great Hall. He was still trying to pull on one boot, and almost fell onto her before regaining his balance.

Marcia slowed down so he could walk at her side. "The man who grabbed you is **Frozen **down in the hall. If those idiotic Ordinary Wizards can do anything right they'll have **Disarmed** him, and put him in the holding cell."

They reached the leftover crowd of Wizards who had stayed behind instead of going back to bed. Milling around, gossiping, laughing at those dressed in sleepwear, spreading theories on how the man had gotten in, they were having a wonderful time. Nothing this exciting had happened since the ExtraOrdinary Apprentice's nasty dragon had somehow gotten into the hall, and was clawing and crushing everything in his reach. No, that had been terrifying, this was mysterious.

When the crowd saw Marcia coming they parted, their whispers hushing down to nothing. Marcia strode to the door that would lead of to the holding cell, but Septimus tripped on something lying on the floor. No, _someone. _Piscel Adamthrope, the unknown savior of the day, was still lying on the floor, untouched. Everyone believed him to have passed out with all of this excitement. The **Silent Stunflash **was wearing off, however, and just as Piscel was picking himself gingerly off the sandy floor Septimus rammed into him, tripped, and fell face first onto the ground in an eerily similar echo to the nosedive the hooded man had taken just minutes before.

"Umphh!" He grunted, and then turned to see why he had fallen.

"Hey! Watch where you're walking…" Piscel's angry remark trailed off as he saw who he was talking to. "Oh! I'm sorry ExtraOrdinary Apprentice, I didn't mean to…" He stopped his blubbering as Septimus was pulled to his feet by an even more annoyed Marcia.

"Oh get up off the floor! Come quickly Septimus." She barked, and quickly sped away to the holding cell. Piscel watched them go in dazed wonder, and then asked a very important question

"Wait, what's going on?" Immediately, dozens of Wizards began to fill him in on their version of the events that had taken place, none of which included him.

Marcia and Septimus continued to the holding cell, a small, dark chamber usually used for storage, time outs, and hide-and-seek spots. It was now holding the **Frozen **man, and all of the junk was piled along the sides of the corridor.

"Have you **Disarmed** him?" She asked the two wizards guarding him, and they nodded and began to fill her in on the adventure of moving the man from hall to hold. Marcia waved them off and came to stand behind Septimus, who was gazing at the man in bewilderment.

"Who is he?" He asked Marcia, turning to look at her.

"No idea, I don't recognize him from anywhere." She answered, studying the face of the man.

He had long, greasy dark hair that hung in his eyes, a square chin, and dark eyes narrowed in hatred. He was short, but built solidly as if he was made completely of muscle.

"Can you please leave us now?" She asked the two wizards in a tone that implied that her question was not a question, but a demand. They muttered "Sure ExtraOrdinary" and quickly exited the room, back into the crowd of gossiping wizards.

Septimus looked up at Marcia, curiosity flashing in his eyes. "Marcia, are you going to do what I think you are going to do?" He asked, and was rewarded with a small nod and a smile.

"Yes Septimus, I am going to attempt a **MindSearche, **but since he is frozen I am not sure how well it will work." She walked up to the man, looking in his eyes. "Watch closely, this is extremely complicated, and I want you to see it done right." Holding back a shiver of disgust, Marcia leaned her forehead against his, closed her eyes, and concentrated, murmuring under her breath. Septimus leaned forward to hear what she said, but jumped back as a powerful purple haze surrounded her. _Best not to interfere with Mind magic Septimus. _He thought to himself, and leaned against the wall, watching.

From Septimus' point of view, Marcia was as still and quiet as if she herself had been frozen, but inside her head it was a chaotic whirl of color and sound. She mentally struggled with the mind of the hooded man, and it was hard, for he was very strong. But Marcia was **Magyk. **She overwhelmed him and spread out her mind into every corner of his, searching, looking, until there, she found it. Information all about the man's life. She shuddered, overwhelmed, and then tried to process everything.

_Dominick De'Ara, professional assassin, mercenary, and hostage taker. _

_Work for money, money was good; he's so skilled nothing can stop him._

_Courting a pretty girl while still a boy, she broke his heart, so he broke her home._

"_I need you to obtain Septimus Heap" _

There! That was it; slowly she brought the memory up to the front of her mind.

_Dominick tapped his hand against his leg. It was meant to give off a feeling of boredom, but this man wasn't buying it. "Yeah, so what. Who's Septimus Heap. And why should I care?" tap, tap, tap. "Septimus Heap is a boy, young, maybe 14 or 15. And he is the seventh son of a seventh son." Shocked, Dominick stopped his tapping. Mad at himself, he tried to sound uninterested, but he was hooked, and this man knew it. "Yeah, what does that have to go with me. You want me to go kill him?" The man shook his head. "No, He will one day be extremely powerful, and I want him. He is to be taken from his home and brought to me, _alive._ And what's in it for you, well, I've been told that you Mr. De'Ara, take an interest in magic spells and charms." Dominick looked up intrigued. "And I have quite the little charm for you." Out of the folds of his robe, the man pulled out three objects; a slip of paper, a small glittering orb, and a square hunk of black jade. "My assistant will explain the purpose for each. And afterwards, when Septimus Heap is safely stored away in my home, you may keep them." The man, who Dominick was now mentally calling boss, smiled. "Good luck."_

All of the sudden Marcia was torn from Dominick's mind as Septimus rammed into her side and pulled her away, breaking the connection with a SNAP.

"OHH! Septimus what did you do that for, I was just…"

"MARCIA, look out!" He pulled her back and away from Dominick. Marcia looked up and cried out, startled. "What in the…"

Dominick was **UnFrozen. **He stood up straight and tall in the hold, no longer glaring, but smiling, like a cat that has just caught his prey.

And in his hand is a knife.

_A KNIFE?! Those bumbling fools! I thought they had __**Disarmed **__him! _She pushed Septimus behind her, ignoring his all the while that Marcia had been in the man's head, Septimus had been watching. He almost couldn't believe it when Dominick's eyes snapped open; and as he reached down into his boot to pull out a knife, Septimus had jumped forward and pulled Marcia out of the way, unaware that Marcia wasn't the target.

He was.

Marcia quickly started a **SafeShield,** and purple energy began to fill the room. But Dominick was faster. Quicker than she could see he ran up to her and, with more strength then should be possible, kicked her to the side, her head hitting the wall.

"Marcia!" Screamed Septimus as he tried to run to her side, but Dominick grabbed the back of his robes, choking him. He moved as fast as he could towards the door with a wiggling, biting, screaming boy in both hands.

Marcia groaned, trying to clear her head so that she could **Flash Freeze **him again. She stood up and shakily tried to follow. But, oh, the floor was just _so comfy, _and her head was just _so dizzy…_

Dominick slammed Septimus into the wall to hold him still as he searched for his **Go Through **charm. _Drat! Those stupid Wizards had taken it. Oh well, I can just demand a new one when I return._

Septimus tried to focus. He had no idea what this guy wanted, but he had to stop him! But how? Thinking quickly, Septimus began to mutter a spell off the top of his head. It was old, and he hadn't used it in years, but hopefully it would work.

**"Let me Fade into Aire, Let all against me know not, Where, Let those that Seeke me pass me by, Let Harme not reach me from their Eye."**

He faded from view just as Dominick turned his head back to him, only to see…nothing._ What, where had the boy gone, huh? But, but I can still feel him…_ His bewildered thoughts were silenced as Septimus' elbow smashed into his nose, and Dominick howled. Before he could recover, Septimus quickly grabbed the knife from his hand, and pointed it straight at him. His days in the Young Army had prepared him for an ambush. He just hadn't expected to ever have to use that experience to his advantage.

Holding his nose, Dominick stared at the hovering knife. _The boy was invisible, great. _But so focused was he on the knife that he didn't notice the bright light that filled the corridor, or hear Marcia muttering before it was too late. The **Thunderflash **hit him in the chest, knocking him out into the Great Hall.

Still woozy, Marcia stumbled down the hallway. "Septimus?" She said, searching.

"Marcia, I'm here!" He exclaimed running and hugging her before he realized that he was still invisible. Quickly he ended the spell. "Are you okay?" He asked her.

Marcia laughed. "It takes more than a wall to knock this ExtraOrdinary Wizard down. Now come, let's go see what has become of Dominick."

"Dominick?"

"The man, that's his name. He's a professional Assassin, Mercenary, and Kidnapper. Dominick De'Ara. Uhg."

They reached the great hall, and found a cluster of wizards staring something in the middle of the floor. "Stay here Septimus." She commanded, and quickly pushed her way through the crowd. After a heartbeat, Septimus followed. He was not missing this.

When he managed to reach the center, he pushed his head under Marcia's arm, and looked down at what everyone was staring at.

Dominick De'Ara was dead.

"Oh bother." Marcia mutters, pushing Septimus back to open space. "There goes our only clue to what is going on. And who is responsible." Septimus nods, about to reply, but at that moment there is a hum, and the liquid lights floating overhead explode and become wisps of colored gas. The silent sand floor shifts, and a multiple messages role across its surface. INTRUDER! LOOK OUT WIZARD PISCEL! GOOD MORNING EXTRAORDINARY IS THERE A DEAD MAN IN THE WIZARD TOWER. The frozen stairs shoot to life, sending an elderly wizard flying. The Wizard Tower is back.

"Oh thank goodness." Says Septimus.


End file.
